Grand Moff Tarkin returns in this new Rogue One teaser

In the latest Rogue One teaser, Grand Moff Tarkin makes his glorious return to the Star Wars Cinematic Universe. Well, at least the back of his head does…

For some time now, rumors have been stating that Grand Moff Tarkin — originally played by the late, great Peter Cushing in Star Wars: A New Hope —  would make an appearance in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. These rumors make perfect sense since Rogue One’s timeline will run right up into the beginning of that very first Star Wars film from 1977.

Well, late Sunday night (or early Monday morning if you prefer), around midnight, Lucasfilm released an all-new Rogue One teaser titled “Breath.” Of course, the teaser is filled with Darth Vader’s iconic breathing, hence the title. Check it out:

So as you can see, and hear, the trailer just serves to remind us that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is going to be a dark, gritty, and possibly brutal Star Wars film. Oh, and to buy tickets now. But back to Tarkin and his confirmed appearance. Here’s the shot in question:

Sadly, since Cushing passed away in 1994, he won’t be reprising the role…well, not technically. Many rumors have it that Cushing’s Tarkin will somehow be digitally recreated in the film. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, executive producer and visual effects supervisor for Rogue One, John Knoll, said his team was working on something revolutionary.

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"“I have to tread lightly there because some of the fun bits of innovation are stuff that I’ve been asked not to talk about yet. You know, we want to hold that back.”"

From the looks of this newest Rogue One teaser, and from the shadowy figure that bears a striking resemblance to Grand Moff Tarkin, I would say the cat might be out of the bag. Rogue One tickets are now available and the film hits theaters worldwide on December 16.